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The Concept of Food Addiction: a Review of the Current Evidence

  • Addictions (M Potenza and M Brand, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

With the literature on food addiction expanding rapidly, we aim to provide an overview of what is known about this topic, including its assessment, prevalence, and associated behavioral, clinical, and neurobiological characteristics.

Recent Findings

The literature presents compelling evidence for the validity of the concept of food addiction, revealing numerous substantive parallels between compulsive overeating and substance use disorders. Research published since the introduction of a formal measure of food addiction has examined neurobiological characteristics associated with food addiction, providing evidence of similarities between neural responses in individuals with food addiction and those with substance use disorders. Furthermore, food addiction has been associated with heightened depression, anxiety, and eating psychopathology. There is also evidence of poorer treatment outcomes in clinical populations, highlighting the importance of continued investigation of this condition.

Summary

The extent to which food addiction is equivalent to substance use disorders remains an open question; however, it is clear that the presence of food addiction has implications for physical and psychological health outcomes. A focus for future research should be identifying specific symptoms of food addiction that contribute to these poor outcomes and greater psychopathology, to inform the development of therapeutic interventions for food addiction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Katherine R. Naish, James MacKillop & Iris M. Balodis

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  1. Katherine R. Naish
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  2. James MacKillop
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Correspondence to Katherine R. Naish.

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KN and IB have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose; JM is a principal in BEAM Diagnostics, Inc.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Addictions

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Naish, K.R., MacKillop, J. & Balodis, I.M. The Concept of Food Addiction: a Review of the Current Evidence. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 5, 281–294 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-018-0169-2

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